The Last Reyne of Castamere
by Goddess of Roses
Summary: Esmeara is the last member of the Reyne family and once the Lannisters find out that she is still alive, they will stop at nothing to kill her. So she travels North to escape them and finds an unlikely alley on the Wall. Jon/OC Co-written with DarylDixon'sLover.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: My partner and I don't own Game of Thrones or any of the characters or places mentioned from that series. It belongs to George R.R. Martin! We only own our .

As she lay in bed, Amelia Reyne couldn't seem to get comfortable. The long hours of tossing and turning had done nothing to help her find sleep. Finally giving up, she climbed out of bed, grabbing the robe that lay on the chair next to the fireplace. 'This was going to be another restless night', she told herself, a groan escaping her mouth.

Walking over to open window, she tied her robe shut. The plains surrounding the keep were full of grass, flowers, and life. Animals often grazed and gave birth in their fields. Tonight was different. It was dark and barren. There was no wind to make the grass sway. Some feared that winter was soon upon them as the nights were starting to become increasingly cooler. Amelia knew it had nothing to do with another winter. It was the cold that the dead feel just before they meet their Gods.

Turning her back to the window, her legs carried her to the kitchens. The room was completely empty, which wasn't uncommon for this time of night. There was a bucket of water on the counter nearest to the doorway that lead to the dining room. Grabbing one of the recently washed goblets, Amelia filled the cup with water. As the cool liquid ran down her throat, it didn't seem to help calm her thoughts.

Suddenly there was the sound of breaking wood, like firewood was being chopped at a distance. Shouting quickly covered the sound of the wood, as guards ran past the dining room toward the gates. The sound of steel being readied joined the chorus. Over all the noise, Amelia could only make out the words, "We are under at-"

Then the whole castle seemed to erupt into panic. More guards came running down to protect their lord. The nobles ran from their rooms screaming, after they had been awoken by the maids. Amelia fled from the dining room as she heard her family's screams. Fear gripped at her stomach. Her family was dying all around her. She tried to keep down the feeling of sadness that tried to overcome her.

She only wanted to get to her father. He would protect her and drive back the evil that had broken into their home. Running through the halls was like fighting a current with all the people that were trying to escape. The screams got louder as she got closer to her father. With each new scream, Amelia felt very ill. It was so sickening to hear.

As she ran around the corner to her father's chambers, someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her into the shadows. Amelia tried to fight against the strong hands that gripped her flesh. As she struggled, she saw a shine on the wall as the man behind her readied his sword. This was the end. Sobs left Amelia's mouth as she heard the sword rush through the air toward her. She wasn't ready to die. She had only just celebrated her twelfth name day.

Suddenly she heard a powerful voice yell out, "Move!"

Amelia was just able to move her head to the side as her father's blade met the head of the man behind her. His grip became loose and his hand fell away from her forearm, as he fell to the floor. She could see the crimson cloak fall over the fallen soldier's face. A Lannister soldier. She froze, unable to move for a minute. The Lannisters had come to kill them all. Tywin was going to get his revenge.

"Come child!" Her father demanded. "We must go, now!"

Once the gravity of his words hit her, Amelia ran after her father. They went to his room, where her father rushed over to the bookcase. His long, fat fingers grabbed a book that was on the first row. There was a metallic click and he was able to push the bookcase away from the wall, revealing an escape tunnel. They followed the stone path for what seemed like forever. It was very dark and she even tripped a few times. She was sure they would die in this darkness.

After their long trek down the tunnel, the light finally hit Amelia. They were in the horse barn that housed the lord's horse. All the stable boys were nowhere to be found and Amelia was afraid that they had met the Lannisters and had perished. Her father quickly readied her horse. It only took a moment for her to realize his horse wasn't ready.

"No, I don't want to leave you." She sobbed.

"You must, daughter." He whispered, pained that he had to let her face the world alone.

Amelia sobbed as her father picked her up and placed her on her horse. He slipped all the coins and jewelry he had on his person into her saddle bag. "Now ride and live my child."

"No!" Amelia was sobbing even harder now. "I won't leave! Not without you!"

Her father made her choice for her as he slapped her horse's butt, which sent her flying into the night. It took all of Amelia's strength not to look back. She knew her father was still watching. Her sadness and desire to live drove her away from her burning home and her father, who would surely meet his end at the hands of the Lannisters.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she rode into the night. The desire to turn back almost won out, but her father had given his life to save her. She had to live, if only to honor her father's memory.

Only once she felt she was at a safe distance, Amelia turned her horse to face her childhood home. She saw that the castle was burning to the ground, smoke was being thrown into the air, hiding the stars from the world. The screaming that echoed through the valley finally seemed to stop. She stifled the sobs that racked through her body.

Her whole family were dead.

"You will pay for this, Tywin Lannister." She whispered vengefully.

After one final look, Amelia patted her horse and they rode into the darkness of the night.

**A/N: Goddess of Roses here! This is a story that I am co-writing with DarylDixon'sLover. I am so excited about it! Don't worry a new chapter of Brides of the North is still in the works! So let us know what you think and we will post again soon!**


	2. Chapter 1

**For Disclaimer See Chapter 1. **

A candle led his way to his little girl's room. It lit up her doorway and Esmeara who laying in bed, waiting for him to come and tell her a story, looked up and smiled. Her eyes lit up and her big smile took up most of her face "PAPA!" Esmeara sat up and her curly brown hair fell in front of her eyes.

Lucan chuckled and moved her hair away from her eyes. "Are you ready for bed?"

"Yes!" Esmeara nodded. "Will you tell me a story?"

Bringing his index finger under his chin, Lucan pretended to think for a moment. "I don't know…."

"PAPA! PLEASE!" Esmeara grabbed his arm and shook it.

Chuckling again, Lucan nodded. "What would you like to hear?"

"Father, will you tell me a story about mother?" Esme asked, her dark hazel eyes looking at Lucan imploringly.

Lucan didn't speak for a moment, but then he smiled softly and nodded. "Aye, I will sweet one," He said and sat on a chair next to his daughter's bed and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I went to the market one day, and I saw the most beautiful woman in the seven kingdoms. She was bartering some jewelry to a food merchant for a bag of potatoes. He wasn't being fair, only offering her half of what it was worth. So I came to her rescue. Not only did he give her a fair price, but I offered her a place in my home. She rejected the offer at first, insisting that I didn't know who she was and all the trouble she would cause me."

Sitting upright in front of her father, Esmeara was listening intently. She never knew her mother and was always intrigued when her father told her stories about her. It was a rare treat, as he didn't talk about her much. Esmeara always thought it was because it made him sad.

"I knew straight away who she was. Amelia was Lord Owen Reyne's daughter." He continued, looking through the window, into the dark sky."Your mother escaped from her family home, Castamere after the Lannisters stormed the castle and started to kill her family. They had rebelled against Lord Tywin and he had come to destroy them all, for their slight against him." Lucan smiled sadly as he saw Esme's eyes widen. He had never told her this part before, but now that she had celebrated her seventh name day, Lucan thought that she deserved the truth about her mother, the whole truth. "Your mother escaped after her father sacrificed himself. Amelia fled to Riverrun."

Then there was a moment of silence. Lucan needed a moment to compose himself before he continued, as he felt tears brimming his eyes. Esmeara was crying softly, trying to process all the information from her father's story. It was almost too much for the girl. She never knew her mother's past was so tragic. Suddenly, she stopped crying and tried to smile. "How did you fall in love and get married?"

"Amelia was stubborn, but once she accepted my help, I was able to woo her," Lucan smiled, remember his past with his wife. "I brought her flowers and made her laugh. She loved me and I her. That is when we became married. Not even a fortnight after, the Lannisters sent a message, signed by Lord Tywin. It demanded that we return Amelia to him and he would leave us in peace. We sent him a maid and I ran with your mother to Seagard."

"What happened to the maid?" Esmeara asked.

The truth almost escaped his mouth, but looking at her innocent eyes, he knew he couldn't tell her that he had sent an innocent woman to her death to protect Amelia. "I don't know."

"Yes you do." Esmeara could sense her father was lying to her. "She died, didn't she?"

"Aye, I believe so." Lucan felt horrible for being caught in his lie to his daughter.

Esmeara took his hand to comfort her father, who she knew was sad. "Then I was born. Right?"

"Aye. Then you were born." A smile appearing back on his face, but it was almost forced for his daughter. Amelia had died giving birth to Esmeara. Their blessing had turned into his nightmare. Lucan loved his daughter, but the loss of his wife was too much to bare, for a very long time. The only reason he didn't walk into the sea was because of the little girl in front of him. "The last child of House Reyne was born. Never forget who you are."

"I promise papa," Esmeara swore to her father. A promise she would never break.

*Ten Years Later*

Blue sky threatened to peak out of the dark clouds as Esmeara made her way down to the market. The dirt path was almost overrun with thick mud, due to the rain that had lasted all morning. Sounds of the ocean crashing against the sharp rocks could be heard through the busy town.

People were weaving through the stands of goods that the merchants were trying to sell. As Esmeara entered the crowd, the air seemed to get hotter. A few merchants tried to pull her to their booth, claiming that they had exactly what she was looking for. She declined gracefully and continued on her way.

Toward the back of the market there was a smaller booth that had ripe fruit sitting out for people to inspect. An older woman was sitting on a wooden stool behind her stand. She was wearing a beautiful purple dress that had a long rip along the bottom of her skirt. Around her neck was a beautiful golden necklace, that she had told Esmeara had once belonged to a Targaryen queen.

"Good morning Ophelia," Esmeara said with a smile.

"It won't be if this rain doesn't head south." Ophelia looked up at the sky. "The Gods mean to curse us."

"What reason could the Gods have to curse the Riverlands?" Esmeara asked as she scanned the fruit.

"Didn't you hear what happened to Lord Stark?" Ophelia asked her gravely.

"No, what happened?" Esme asked, a frown starting on her lovely face..

"The Lannisters arrested him for treason when he refused to acknowledge Joffery as King." Ophelia said disgusted. "He claimed that little golden head shit was a product of of incest between the Queen and her brother."

Esme felt dread pool in her stomach, as she already knew the answer in her heart. "What happened to Lord Stark?"

Looking at the younger woman gravely, Ophelia paused before answering. "They took him before the Great Sept of Baelor and chopped his head off."

The fear exploded in her stomach. If the Lannisters had killed Lord Eddard Stark then what was stopping them from finding her and beheading her as well? With a Lannister on the throne, she could never be safe. "Seven help me," Esmeara muttered a prayer to herself.

"What did you say dear?" Ophelia looked up at her for the first time.

"Nothing!" Esmeara quickly put money down on the counter and tossing random fruit into her basket.. "Thank you!"

Taking off running back through crowded market, she knew she had to get home. For her fear was not just for herself. Esmeara's thoughts went to her father. If the Lannisters every discovered her, she was sure he was the first one who would suffer their wrath.

Suddenly she bumped into a woman, who fell to the ground. Esmeara yelled her apology over her shoulder, but didn't stop. Her legs wouldn't stop until she saw her father and knew he was safe. Even when she entered their two floor home, she didn't stop. "Father!"

Loud stomping could be heard as someone came down the stairs. Relief washed over Esmeara as her father came around the corner. There was no relief on his face. Only fear. Fear for his daughter and what would happen to her.

"You must not stay here." Lucan Tully embraced his daughter. She could feel him shaking in fear for the only person he had left in his life. "We must get you as far North as possible.

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's chapter 2! I am sorry about the delay but I was on vacation last week. But here is the new chapter! I hope you all enjoyed and let us know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2

That night brought no sleep for Esmeara. She lay curled up on the ledge of her bedroom window, with a fur draped around her. It was cold at night from the wind that came from offshore. She would have to get used to it, as she was heading North the next night. The thought still scared her. She didn't want to leave home or her father. The thought of not seeing her father every day brought sorrow to her soul. They were all that each other had. So, she had held onto the hope that he would take her North. It was the only thought that kept her from crying.

A creek filled the air and her door was pushed open. Startled, Esmeara reached for the knife that she had hidden under her fur. When her wide eye met her father's eyes, her body relaxed. "Father," Esmeara said softly. "Did I wake you?"

Shaking his head, Lucan sat down by his daughter's feet, at the edge of the ledge. "No sweet one. Sleep will not come, for either of us I see."

Trying to smile, she grabbed her father's hand. "The journey tomorrow will be long for both of us."

Lucan shook his head sadly. He wanted to see his daughter safely to the North, but he couldn't risk endangering her. It would be much easier for her to slip by unnoticed if she rode alone, and without a lord, who would surely draw attention. "No my dear, you'll be going alone."

"Alone?" Esmeara's eyes grew three sizes. A new fear quickly gripped her. She was going alone? She didn't know to get to the North. The thought of going to a new place without her father quickly brought tears to her eyes. "I thought you were coming with me!"

"No. It is too dangerous," Lucan told her sadly. "If we were captured by the Lannisters they would know who I am, and by association you would be suspected as Amelia's daughter. You must go alone."

"I don't know what roads to take father," Esmeara tried to argue, hoping her point would get her father to change his mind. "There are thieves and Wildlings!"

"Not if you stay on the King's Road," Lucan tried to comfort her. "Follow that road North and you reach Winterfell. My cousin Catelyn resides there. She can protect you."

Brushing away the tear that was falling down his daughter's face, Lucan pulled her close. Esmeara buried her face in his chest and cried. His hand rubbed her back gently, trying to push away all of her fears. He was glad that her face was hidden and she didn't see his own tears. First his beloved wife left this life and now he had to send his only child away. The loneliness was almost too much to bear. All he could do was pray to the Seven that she would be safe and return to him when this dreaded war was over.

000

When the sun was just coming up over the sea, Esmeara wrapped herself in a shawl and started walking toward the market. She would need food and warm clothing for her journey. She had a few of her heavy dresses over her arm so they could be let in a bit. She also wanted to have the collars lined with fur to help keep her neck warm.

Stepping into the dressmaker's home, Esmeara went over to the sewing station in the corner of her parlor. An older woman was sewing up a tear in a dress and she looked up with a smile. "Good morning dear," the seamstress said, with her usual kind tone. "If you have an order for me, it may take a little longer than usual. I have a large order ahead of yours."

"Please." Esmeara put her dresses in an empty basket at her feet. "I need them for tonight. I am going to visit family and I need them before I leave."

The seamstress gave her a sympathetic smile. "I will try to get to them after my afternoon meal."

"Thank you," Esmeara smiled. "I will be back for them."

After nodding her head to the old seamstress, she walked back out into the market. Following her footsteps from yesterday, she found herself back at Ophelia's fruit stand. The woman was absent, but her son Martyn stood in her place. His beautiful brown eyes found hers and he smiled. "Good Morning," he said.

Smiling at him, Esmeara grabbed different kinds of fruit, filling her wicker basket with as much fruit as it could hold. Normally she only bought a few pieces and this caused Martyn to stare curiously at her. He wondered why she was buying so much. "Are you having visitors?" Martyn asked.

"No." Esmeara looked away so he wouldn't see her distress, that was written all over her face. "I am traveling North to visit my aunt."

"The Twins?" Martyn asked, watching his young customer.

"Winterfell," Esmeara answered.

"The road is traitorous,"Martyn told her. "I hope you aren't going alone."

Esmeara bit her lip gently. She didn't want to lie, but she knew that she couldn't very well tell him everything about her journey. "No, my father and I are leaving soon."

Nodding, Martyn took the money that she offered him for the fruit. "I wish you a safe journey."

"Thank you," Esmeara nodded to him before turning to head back to her home.

000

When she returned home, Esmeara had to condense everything she owned into one saddle bag. It didn't seem like it would be enough. One side held her food and the other her clothes, that were sticking out of the top. Letting out a deep breath, she tried to push it back in, to no avail.

Looking around her room for what seemed like the last time, Esmeara saw all the things she would leave behind. A book her mother had brought with her from Castamere was on the bedside table. The dolls her father had gifted her throughout her life, decorated the room. Walking over to her jewelry box, she pulled out a gold bracelet that had been in the Reyne Family. The gold was heavy and woven in a delicate circle. Dangling from the center link, a red lion with a forked tail gleamed in the light. The lion was made up of rubies. This would be the hardest possession to leave behind. If anyone ever saw it, they would know who she was.

The door behind her creaked open and her father appeared in the doorway. "Are you ready?" He asked, his voice sounded so sad and broken.

His voice brought tears to Esmeara's eyes. She tried to remain strong, but knowing her father was breaking inside because she had to leave, was too much for her. Brushing a few tears away from her eyes, she nodded. "I will be there in a moment."

The sound of his footsteps retreating brought more tears. Esmeara wanted to let it all out before their goodbye. She didn't want his last memory of her to be a sad one. Collecting herself, she grabbed the saddle bag and threw it over her shoulder. Looking around for the last time, Esmeara was sure that she would never return here.

000

The stables were full of shadows, with only the light coming from the moon. Lucan had his horse saddled and ready. He had told his daughter that there was no chance that her mare could handle the journey north, so she was going to ride his stallion, that was too large for her.

Esmeara came into the barn and put her saddle bag in place. Turning to her father, she could feel tears starting to collect in her eyes. She was going to miss him so much. He had always been there for her, and now he was going to be ripped from her life, just as her mother had. For a small moment, all she could feel was hate for the Lannisters.

Lucan's arms pulling her close broke Esmeara from her thoughts. "Be safe child." He whispered. "I will always love you."

"Father…" Everything else she was trying to say was lost in her sob.

Picking her up, Lucan put her on the back of his horse. "Don't look back."

Esmeara looked down at her father in horror. "Can I not even write to you?"

"No." Lucan's eyes never left hers. "You must run and not look back. After this war, I will find you. Don't come back."

Suddenly, the horse took off with a smack from Lucan. All he could do was watch his daughter disappear into the night. Tears fell down his cheeks, but they went ignored. Going back into the empty house, Lucan finally let himself sob. He had lost Amelia and now he had lost his daughter, after he had promised his beloved wife that he would always look after her.

**A/N: Goddess here! I am so sorry it took me SO long to update this story! I had really lost all my inspiration. But, it seems to be back for now! So I really want to apologize to my wonderful partner DarylDixon'sLover for being patient with me. So review and we will post again!**


	4. Chapter3

Over the last week, Esmeara rode her horse, Nareys as fast as she could get him to go. She had only passed a few families, who were fleeing Riverrun, carrying everything that they owned. In the back of her mind, she never forgot the Lannister threat. Their soldiers were still behind her and she wanted to keep it that way.

Nareys whined lightly to tell his rider that he was at the end of line. Esmeara stroked his sparkling black hair. "I understand. Don't worry, we will stop soon."

Her horse huffed, in what seemed like understanding, as they finally reached a clearing. The forest had been hard on Nareys and his rider. There were many tree roots and uneven paths. Esemara was honestly worried that he would twist his leg, but they made it through safe and sound.

In the clearing was the last inn before she was truly in the North. She had spent the last five days riding along the Green Fork, toward the Neck. Instead of paying a price to cross at the Twins, Esmeara had decided to go around. It took longer, but at least there was no one around that could recognize her. She was sure that the Freys would and none of the Tullys trusted the bridge guardians.

Now she was face with a choice that she wasn't sure of. The inn would offer food, that she had long run out of, and a soft bed, but it was possible that someone would know her, and send word to the Lannisters. Camping would be safer, there would be no one around and she could go about her own way. Though, bandits were common in this area and they would take everything she had left, if she was lucky.

The area looked fairly deserted though. There was a barn in the distance that was a few yards from the inn. A few horses were grazing in the valley and there was only one cart. Maybe she would get lucky and be the only one to stay there tonight. The thought of a bath, meal, and bed pulled her in.

Nudging Nareys forward, Esmeara made her way down to the small, two story building. As she got closer, she could make out a figure coming out to greet her. He was a short old man, who was plump and walked with a limp. A smile lit up his face as she came to a stop. "Welcome dearie," he said. "My wife is inside. She can help you to your room. May I take your horse to the barn? He looks like he could use a rest and a meal."

Patting his mane, Esmeara was a little scared to get down. Nareys was all she had and she didn't want to part with him. Finding her courage, she swung her leg over and slid off his back. Petting him one last time, she whispered, "Don't worry. Just rest for the night."

Snorting, Nareys followed the old man to the stable. After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Esmeara pushed the wooden door open and went into the well lit room. There was a dining room off to her left, and a wooden desk to her right. There were stairs leading up to the guest rooms, behind the desk. A old woman was looking at the guest book, and she was writing something on another piece of paper. This must be the old man's wife. Her brown hair had some silver in it and her waist was skinny.

Suddenly, she looked up and smiled at Esmeara. "Looking for a room?"

"Yes," Esmeara said, giving her a nervous smile back. "Just for one night."

Nodding, she reached for a key with her bony hand. "Name?"

This very normal question stopped Esmeara in her tracks. How was she suppose to answer this? She couldn't use the name Tully, it would connect her to her father. The woman turned and eyed her. "Did you not hear me girl?" the old woman's voice broke her out of her head. It wasn't a rude question, but she had said it forceful enough.

"Esme," the younger woman answered. "I'm Esme from House Smallwood."

"What is taking a Smallwood North?" She asked as she wrote some things into her thick guest book.

"My father was trading in the North and was injured," Esmeara lied. "I am riding up to see him."

"I will pray the the Seven to keep you both safe," the woman said kindly. "Would you like me to bring you water for a bath?"

"If it isn't too much trouble," Esmeara said softly.

"Not at all," she said. "Follow me. I'll show you to your room."

Esmeara was led up the narrow stairs into a hallway. There were four doors on each side of the hallway, with one door at the far end. The older woman led her to the third door on the right. "This will be your room," she said. "It won't be much, but it will get you out of the cold."

"It'll be plenty." Esmeara opened her coin pouch and counted out a few silver pieces, before handing them to her.

Opening the door for Esmeara, she said, "My name is Meralith and if you need anything, just yell for me."

Walking into the small room, there was a little bed against the wall. A wooden chest was at the foot of the bed, and a tub was in the corner. Esmeara wasn't sure if she would even be able to sit in it, but at least she could get clean. Sitting on the bed, she wanted nothing more than to be able to write her father and tell him where she was. He would have liked this room. It looked a lot like his at home, except bigger.

With Meralith and her husband being so kind, Esmeara knew she had nothing to fear here. Feeling at home, she slipped off her cloak and picked up a log to throw on the fire. She couldn't help but hope that Nareys's accommodations were just as nice as hers.

000

Coming down the stairs, Meralith went over to her desk to put Esme's money in the small safe. She knew that soon there would be many people fleeing south, away from the coming war and winter. Soon her inn would be bustling with activity, but until then she only had two guests.

Making her way to the dining room, she grabbed a pitcher of ale. There was one man sitting at a table. He had a plate of half eaten food in front of him, with an empty mug in his left hand.

"More ale Jaron?" Meralith asked.

The handsome man looked up at her. He had hazel eyes and soft black hair that brushed his jaw line. He had dirty riding clothes on from his journey, but the sword at his hip was left untouched. There was real gold worked into the handle. It had been a present from his employer, his liege Tywin Lannister.

Jaron smiled at the kind woman. "Of course."


	5. Chapter 4

The warm water going over her body almost made her feel human again. As she washed all the dirt and leaves from her hair, Esmeara couldn't help but form a letter to her father, in her head. She would tell him about the woods she had passed through, and the people she had met. Also, she would have to remind him to go and pick up the mangos from Ophelia. Lucan would never get them for himself, even though he loved them. So, every spring his daughter would go and get them as a treat.

Stepping out of the tub, water splashed against the hardwood floor below. Grabbing the towel that lay on the chair, Esmeara began to dry off. After slipping on a robe, she sat down in front of the chest and pulled paper out of her saddle bag. For a moment she thought, before she started writing down the date and addressing the letter to her father. In it she told him about when Nareys had been spooked by a deer and almost ran away. Chuckling, she knew that Lucan would have thought it was funny.

As she signed her name at the bottom, Esmeara stopped for a moment. Could she send this letter? No. It would be too dangerous and it could put her father in danger. So, she decided to put it in her bag along with her clothes. They would just have to wait until she finally returned home to Lucan. She would give them to him, but in the meantime, they could be her little piece of him. A piece of home.

Dressing quickly, Esmeara could feel her stomach protesting. It had been a day since she had anything and she knew that her body needed food. Deciding to leave her wet hair down, she went out into the hallway and made her way down to the dining room, in search of something to eat.

000

After his meal, Jaron put his feet up on the table and leaned back in his chair. Lazily, he pulled out a rolled up letter that his Lord has sent. He had not read it yet, even though he had gotten it a few days ago. With that noisy innkeeper about, he couldn't risk reading over his shoulder. Now that she had retired to her room, he thought it was safe enough to open it.

The letter was anything but full of pleasantries. Lord Tywin informed him that Jaime was leading a host of men to the Riverlands and he was to join them, when he had found any information on the Young Wolf, who was also on his way to Riverrun.

Sighing, Jaron tossed the letter into the fire. He had never gotten along with Jaime. The man cared too much what others thought of him. Those kinds of things never bothered Jaron. The life he led was dictated by his Lord, going wherever he saw fit to send his employee. There was one difference between them. Jaime had no choice. Jaron did.

Looking up, he noticed that he was no longer in the room by himself. A young woman had come around the corner and was looking around the room. Jaron remembered seeing her buy a room before. It was curious to see a woman traveling by herself, let alone a wealthy woman. She was either very brave or very stupid. He wasn't sure which it was yet.

Watching her as she helped herself to the rest of the chicken on the serving table, Jaron noted that she was a pretty little thing. The color of her hair and the structure of her face made it obvious that she wasn't a Smallwood. It made him wonder who she really was and what she was doing here.

The young woman sat a few tables from him and began to dig into her chicken and carrots. From how quickly she ate, it looked like she hadn't eaten in days. Sighing, Jaron stood and walked toward her, taking his pitcher of ale with him.

Hearing noises and movement to her left, Esmeara looked up, startled. The man who had been sitting at a nearby table was coming over to join her. She had seen him when she had entered the room; it was hard not to. Jaron was very handsome, but the sword at his hip made her nervous. It made her feel like he was dangerous.

Not saying a word as he sat down, the man poured a brown liquid into a nearby cup and pushed it over to her. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"You looked lonely," he said, as a smile appeared on his face. "It isn't smart of your husband to let you eat alone. Someone could come along and steal you from underneath his nose."

"I'm not married," Esmeara told him as she took a face. The moment the liquid hit her tongue, she made a face and sputtered with disgust. "That's horrible!"

Laughing, he took the cup back and drank the contents himself. "I don't drink it because it tastes good."

"The why bother?" she asked curiously, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Esmeara could never understand the appeal of alcohol.

"It makes you feel good," Jaron informed her. "It loosens the tongue and lets the truth flow free."

"Why would you want to loosen my tongue?" Esmeara felt panic rise in her. Did he know who she was? All her life she feared discovery and it was so exhausting.

"I was merely curious about what causes a woman to travel alone, through bandit territory, toward the wild North," Jaron answered with mild interest.

"My father," Esmeara answered sadly. "He was in-"

"Injured in the North and you are riding to see him," Jaron finished her sentence. This slightly startled her. How did he know what she was going to say? Could he see through her life? As if he could read her mind, he stared into her eyes. "I heard you tell Meralith earlier, but unlike her, I don't believe your lie."

It took everything in her not to panic. "What makes you think that?"

"I have stayed in Lord Smallwood's keep," Jaron leaned back in his chair. "I would have remembered if he had a daughter that looked like you."

Blushing lightly, no one had ever called her pretty before. Esmeara tried to figure him out. The man was very mysterious. He definitely had to be from across the narrow sea, probably coming all this way to sell his goods. The only problem was he didn't seem like someone who was trying to sell something.

"Well Esme," his hypnotic voice broke her thoughts. "I'm Jaron Mar-"

The door to the inn blew back and slammed against the wall. Three men stepped over the pieces of the broken door. The leader looked around the room, with his hawk like eyes, and they landed on the table where the two of them were sitting.

"Look, we finally found some food!" The leader exclaimed.

The other men laughed as Esmeara gulped down a lump in her throat. They had to be bandits! Jaron seemed to silently agree with her thought, as he slowly reached for his sword.

"Please," Jaron addressed them. "My wife is with child."

Floored, she couldn't believe he called her his wife! They had only just met. Esmeara knew that these bandits wouldn't care either way. They were criminals. Though, she had to admit, there was something in her that was touched. Jaron was trying to protect her.

Just as she thought, they weren't deterred from their purpose. Coming over, one of the bandits took her chicken and the pitcher of ale. As he turned away, Jaron grabbed his arm. "That belongs to my wife." His voice had a quiet power to it.

Before he could act further, the bandit grabbed his sword and drew it, pointing it at Jaron. Esmeara noticed that Jaron was inching toward his own sword, when she grabbed his arm and looked at him pleadingly. "No! It isn't worth it."

Jaron's hand fell from his sword. It would be one thing if it was just life in the balance, but Esme could be killed. He might be a sell sword, but he did have a good. No women or children could be hurt.

Laughing, the head bandit sat at a table, as his men started to serve him dinner. Esmeara couldn't help but feel horrified. These men could kill them without feeling any remorse. She had reached for Jaron's hand and squeezed it. Not knowing him made it hard for her to trust him, but he was all she had now.

Leaning closer, Jaron brushed his lips against hers. Esmeara couldn't help but blush. That was her first KISS! In her mind, she could have never thought it would be in front of bandits, who were threatening their lives! Moving in for another, Esmeara couldn't help but back up slightly. "Esme," his powerful voice said, in barely a whisper. "You need to go to your room. I will come and get you when it is over."

"What about you?" Esmeara whispered back.

"What are you talking about?" the leader barked at them.

"My wife is just tired from our journey," Jaron answered, before she could say anything. "Go. I will be up in a moment love."

After hesitating, Esmeara stood, but her eyes never left Jaron's. She couldn't help but worry about him. There was this horrible feeling that he was going to do something stupid and get himself killed. "Hurry upstairs," Esmeara said. "Please don't do anything that could get you killed."

It took everything in her to not run for the stairs. Trying to stay calm, Esmeara walked past the men, who were watching her like hawks. Gulping, she put her hand on the rail to the stairs, when she heard movement behind her.

"Run!" Jaron's voice commanded, as he drew his sword.

Not needing to be told twice, Esmeara bolted up the stairs. Sounds of yelling and steel crashing followed her up into the hallway. Heart pounding, Esmeara ran to her door and fumbled through her pocket to find the key.

Suddenly , a rough, strong hand grabbed her arm. Esmeara was shoved face first into the wooden door. "Scream," he whispered "No one's gonna save you now."


End file.
